The best iron to buy in 2014

22nd Sep 2014 | 10:25

Image -1of

Tefal Freemove 9970

Cordless iron that ditches the wires yet still performs as impressively as its wired brothers. There’s a handy steam on-demand trigger that rids your clothes of creases, while the automatic steam function adapts the steam depending on what sort of fabric you’re cleaning.

The awkwardly named Sensixx’x has a power output 3050 watts which means it heats up extremely quickly. It also features an easy-glide CeraniumGlissée soleplate and a 50 g/min continuous steam output for fuss-free pressing. The Sensixx’x is comfy in the hand, well balanced and one of the lightest irons on test. The anti-calc cleaning system is a major plus though the ample 300ml tank is too dark to see the remaining water level. A worthy contender, nonetheless.

Rowenta is widely considered the Rolls Royce of iron manufacturers. This steam generator model’s their Silver Cloud and it comes with a price tag to match. The Silence Steam’s 1.5-litre reservoir is an ungainly beast but it delivers an industrial-strength 260g/min steam shot guaranteed to iron the wrinkles out of anything, possibly even corrugated roofing. If God wanted to flatten the Himalayas, this is what he’d use.

This Ferrari-esque steam model comes saddled with a tranche of shampoo-style jargonistic features like ‘TriZone Ionic Soleplate Technology’ – for static-free crease removal – ‘Comfigrip’ design – for, er, a comfy grip – and a ‘unique dual-steam chamber’. All you need to know is that it ticks most boxes and irons stuff with little to no fuss.

What makes one iron stand out from another? Panasonic would like to draw attention to its HydroPower Multi-Directional ceramic soleplate for easy-glide ironing, continuous steam at 35 grams per minute and its three-way cleaning system for the reduction of limescale. It also works vertically which is good for steaming the creases out of a suit. Keen price, too.

If you think Morphy Richard’s ‘TriZone Ionic’ soleplate sounds desirably techy, how about AEG’s ‘Resilium Superior Glide Jetski’. Exaggerated epithets aside, what impresses most about this model is the small raft of auto-off features. The iron cuts out after 30 seconds if left facedown on an item of clothing and will turn itself off completely if left unattended in an upright position; a handy bonus for those who always forget to switch off their appliances before leaving the home.

This elegantly designed steam generator occupies the leading edge in iron tech. The PerfectCare is comprised of a large 1.5-litre water reservoir that continually pumps high-pressure steam (110 g/min) to a comfortable, lightweight iron unit that glides over tricky cotton-rich fabrics like a hovercraft. Aside from its cartridge-based limescale control system, it also comes equipped with OptimalTEMP technology that removes the need for any temperature controls. Really, you can iron any fabric with just one setting, even rest the iron face-down on a shirt without burning it. How ingenious is that? Apple-like simplicity alone guarantees this smooth operator an unequivocal high five.

This super-slippery, ceramic-plated model lights up like a Christmas tree and comes with auto cut-off and a separate 1.4-litre water reservoir-cum-dock that automatically refills the iron when it’s in the resting position; a major boon for anyone facing up to an ironing marathon. Aside from its decent head of constant steam (around 50g/min), the Breville also has a boost button that produces enough vaporous punch to blow the roof off. Top buy.

Here’s proof that you don’t need to fork out a fortune if all you iron is a couple of ties and a T-shirt or two. This simple dry/spray/steam model features a bog-standard stainless steel soleplate, a 160ml water tank and overheating protection. It’s suitably ample for modest laundry piles but you wouldn’t want to be lumbered with a full household’s worth.

There’s one sure-fire occasion when you really do need an iron. On holiday. Although it’s not as small as you’d expect, this travel model won’t take up much luggage space and is just the thing to rehabilitate your T-shirts which, having been thrown ad hoc into the suitcase, now resemble a pile of dish rags. Shame it doesn’t come with a set of interchangeable travel plugs, mind.